


An Unexpected Turn of Events

by lozlinkaddict



Series: that one dystopian universe i randomly created a while ago [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, M/M, Multi, Please read, here's this, i don't have anything else to say, some blood and stuffs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22834564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lozlinkaddict/pseuds/lozlinkaddict
Summary: In a Hyrule where crime was the social norm, it's difficult to do anything without the risk of getting hurt in one way or another.Shadow Zuiver had this problem, as did all other sane Hylians left in the city.Every day was as boring as the last until he accidentally-on-purpose saved an attractive young blonde from a group of bandits...
Relationships: Blue Link/Green Link/Red Link, Shadow Link/Vio Link
Series: that one dystopian universe i randomly created a while ago [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1928323
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	An Unexpected Turn of Events

**Author's Note:**

> Yes. I know. I should be working on other things, but I had to write this one down before the idea decided to abandon me.
> 
> I hope it's not too confusing or anything. I just threw a bunch of words together haphazardly until it made [sorta] sense.
> 
> Prompt: You live in a city where crime runs rampant. One day, you save a young boy's life, not knowing that he is the Crime Lord's son. You've just joined the 'no-harm' list.

In a city where crime in social-norm nowadays, there isn't much to do. Well, that's if getting mugged every other corner counts, then there was one thing that Shadow could do with his day. But, as one could probably assume, there isn't much excitement and anticipation that comes with specific activity...

Hyrule had been a beautiful city, once. With the massive stone castle in the north, the bustling market with kind townsfolk, the lush grassland fields surrounding it. The people were happy here, once too. The castle's still there, but it was beginning the process of decay.

Now? It's not quite as pretty.

Crime is the highest there than any other location, technology wasn't being the kindest on the ecosystem, relatively nice people were getting harder and harder to find, and... it's hard to find friends.

17-year-old Shadow Zuiver has this problem.

Sure, there was stuff to do around the house - er, there would be if his sister and father weren't gaming all the time. With them being professional gamers and that being the main source of income for the three of them, Shadow wasn't that eager to try to get a few minutes on the Xbox.

Shadow threw his backpack over a shoulder, carefully placing a few chocolate chip cookies into a plastic bag before leaning against the doorframe of the living room. "Can I go out?"

Ravio Zuiver, his world record-holding father, glanced at him briefly. "As long as you don't come in half-dead this time, I guess so. Make sure to bring your switchblade just in case."

"Alright. Thanks, Dad."

A distracted nod was his response.

Shadow pushed himself off the doorframe. He'd just have to take the rooftops this time. "See y'all later."

Neither his sister or his father answered him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Closing the front door behind him, Shadow took a breath of the "fresh" air.

The section of Hyrule the Zuivers lived in wasn't the fanciest in the city, but it wasn't too bad. Smaller, clean(ish) houses lined the left side of the street and downtown style shops took up the entirety of the opposite side.

Shadow took a bite of one of the cookies as he quickly and carefully jaywalked across the relatively empty street.

Up ahead of him, three rather suspicious-looking men trudged down the sidewalk. One was holding a beer bottle, and one of them had a gun.

Now, Shadow was used to seeing people armed like that, but what intrigued him was the purple figure in front of them. A blond wearing purple and a dark grey backpack with the gay pride flag on it; he seemed distracted. Reading a book, it seemed like.

Most of the time, he didn't want to involve himself in these situations, but he caught a faint view of the blond's face as he looked off to the side. Needlessly to say, he was hella attractive. Well, he certainly looked attractive from this far back...

Very attractive...

Shadow looked back at the men, taking notice of how they took turns drinking from the bottle as the one with the gun twirled it on a finger.

It looked like blondie had a few potential stalkers.

Shadow debated booking it and embracing him like a friend, whispering the situation to him and hope he's got good acting skills. While that might help get the people off their tail, they might just wait until Shadow left and do who knows what to him...

Clenching his jaw in frustration, the violette kept his casual pace, idly looking around as if he wasn't stalking some large men who were stalking some random blond.

_"As long as you don't come back half-dead this time, sure."_

Shadow smiled.

Climbing the rooftops is always fun.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The only problem with being on the roofs was that the landing on the one across the alley normally wasn't a quiet one. There was typically a thump, so he had to be cautious. Not like he wasn't, or anything. He just had to be more, is all.

The early afternoon sun made the heat almost stifling, soaking into the black of his zip-up hoodie. His deep purple hair was also soaking up the sun, and it made him feel lightheaded.

Blondie had walked into an alley up ahead that was a shortcut to the other side. Well, it had been a while ago. Hottie apparently hasn't been out in a while because there was now a solid brick wall at the end of that alleyway.

The burly men all laughed boisterously, following after him. This probably wasn't a good thing.

Shadow's brows furrowed as he hopped his last roof, instead opting to follow quietly on the edge. Whatever they were planning wouldn't end well for the blond.

Running as quietly as he could, Shadow ran toward the other end of the roof, his timing perfect enough to watch blondie run straight into the wall. He stifled his laughter behind a hand while he watched the boy look up from his book, evidently surprised.

When the men laughed again, blondie stiffened.

With not many options, hottie looked to the roofs, most likely speculating whether or not he'd be able to climb up the wall fast enough. Their gazes met; Shadow put a finger to his lips.

Yeah, this guy was definitely attractive.

Shadow crept back enough to where the men couldn't see him, staying on the edge but moving behind all four of the people in the alley beneath him.

"Give it to us, you little fucker," one of the men slurred, standing the closest to him.

Blondie silently marked his page and shut his book, his expression bored. "The book? Why don't you just go get it from the library? It's not that complicated."

The man who spoke first, noticeably the shortest out of the three, stomped his foot like a frustrated toddler. "Not the book! The money!"

Blondie's eyes drifted to the gun in the other's hand as it clicked. "Bold of you to assume I have money."

"We don't have time for your games," the tallest one grumbled, his arms crossed over his chest threateningly.

Blondie swallowed discreetly. "For some reason, I feel like the outcome will be the same, whether I give you the small amount I have or not."

"Probably not wrong," the armed one spoke, his gun pointing straight at his chest. "Now, I only got one shot, so you better give it to us right fucking now."

Blondie visibly paled at that, slowly sliding his arms out of his backpack straps. He kneeled down, unzipping his bag with scarcely shaking hands. "All of it?" he asked, though everyone knew what the answer was already.

"Of course, all of it, fucker," the first snapped, tapping his foot in impatience. "Hurry up."

Blondie pulled a small wallet out of his backpack, taking the money out and throwing it at their feet.

Well, he wasn't a liar. There was hardly $30 on the dirty ground.

"We said all of it," the largest hissed between clenched teeth.

Blondie opened his wallet at an angle they could see inside. The black interior was completely void of any other source of money. "I told you that I didn't have much."

The armed one's face turned beet red from anger.

Shadow didn't think much before launching himself off the roof.

The gunshot that would've gone straight through Blondie's pretty face instead sunk straight into his shin.

The other two looked surprised as Shadow lept off the armed one's back, standing in front of Blondie protectively with his switchblade angled toward them.

"Get outta here," Shadow said coldly, twirling the blade across his palm with expert ease. "I'm taking care of this situation from here. Leave."

The shortest looked positively outraged. "Get the hell out of my way."

Shadow raised an eyebrow, placing his empty hand on his hip and shifting his center of balance. "Oh? And what're you going to do about it?"

In retrospect, Shadow wished he had realized that an empty beer bottle was most definitely a weapon.

With a frustrated yell, the man advanced, taking a heavy swing at Shadow's chest.

Thankfully it hit his right bicep instead, shattering on impact. Most of the glass flew elsewhere, only a few shards sinking into the toned flesh.

Shadow gritted his teeth against the pain. Holy Hylia that stung.

Realizing that he just broke their last potential weapon, the man launched the remaining neck of the bottle at the wall, more glass shards flying around.

Shadow twirled his knife again, taking a step forward. "Get the hell outta here." When they didn't move, Shadow shot forward with near-inhuman speed, swinging his blade in an arc that was hardly an inch away from the man closest to him.

They moved back, but didn't leave.

Shadow growled, not unlike an animal, the shadows around him seeming to get more foreboding, collecting at his feet and seeping into his very skin. His clothes steadily became more and more of a rich black, his skin also beginning to lose its complexion. He knew his eyes were most likely glowing; they did that whenever he was angry.

Genuinely creeped out by the sudden change of atmosphere and appearance of the teen in front of them, the three men quickly turned around and booked it.

Shadow released his hold on the shadows, letting both himself and the darkness return to normal. He glanced back at Blondie, relieved to only find a scratch above his eye from the shattered glass.

"Do you just... do that often?" he asked in disbelief, returning his backpack to his shoulders. "That was quite the display."

Shadow shrugged, wincing at the pressure it put on the injured area of his arm. "It's hereditary. I enjoy freaking people out."

"Are you a descendant of one of the heroes?" Blondie questioned, genuinely intrigued.

"Uh... Maybe?" Shadow replied unhelpfully.

Blondie smiled slightly. "One of the heroes of legend had powers very similar to yours."

"...Oh?" Shadow frowned thoughtfully. "Huh. Well, guess I'm living up to my ancestor's title."

Blondie stared at him blankly for a moment. "Thank you for that, by the way. Still got shot, but at least I'm breathing."

"Not wrong," Shadow responded, offering his left hand after pocketing his switchblade. "I'm Shadow."

Blondie smiled wider. "You're even named after him." He shook his hand. "I'm Vio."

Shadow grinned at him. "Let's get outta this alleyway."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The walk was slow and painful, as Vio was leaning heavily on Shadow, trying to completely avoid using his right foot.

"Thank you again," Vio told him, silently leading him wherever they were going. "I don't think I'll be able to stop saying that."

Shadow shrugged his left shoulder, lightly jostling the blond. "It's not a problem, really."

"Except it was," Vio insisted, leading them around a corner. "I'd probably be rotting in some alley if it weren't for you."

Shadow smiled slightly, adjusting his grip on the blond's shoulders. "Alrighty then. You're welcome, Vio."

After a few moments of silence, Shadow couldn't help but notice how warm Vio was beneath his arm... and how Vio had his head slightly angled toward him.

He hoped the sun would mask whatever heat had crept up his neck.

"For a completely different topic, thank you," Vio suddenly said. "You really didn't have to help me get home."

Shadow scoffed, unconsciously tightening his grip on the blond. "It's not like I'd just leave. Do I really look that heartless?"

Vio laughed, a very sweet, rich sound. "No, no. Of course not. I was just... pleasantly surprised, is all."

"I'm not passing up on an opportunity to be a nice person. Just wait 'til you get to know me."

Vio smiled. "I'll look forward to it."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After at least a painful hour of hobbling along the sidewalk, Vio stopped in front of a nice house. "Here we are," he said, a sarcastic lilt to his voice. "Would you mind... helping me get in?"

Shadow glanced at the porch. 5 steps. "Of course."

Not knowing what Vio had in mind, he simply picked him up bridal style, biting his lip harshly against the pain. Something vaguely akin to a whimper passed his lips. Vio seemed surprised at the arrangement but didn't protest much.

Carefully walking up the steps and knocking on the door with his foot, Shadow put Vio back down gently.

"Thanks," Vio said softly, his cheeks ever so slightly tinted red.

Despite the burning pain in his arm, Shadow smiled in return as the door opened.

It was another blond that looked strikingly similar to Vio, just a little bit shorter. His hair was tousled, freckles covered much of his face, and he sported a green t-shirt with a triforce insignia and faded blue jeans.

"Holy Hylia, Vio! What'd you do this time?!" the other exclaimed, paling at the dark stain on Vio's pants. "Blue! Can I get a little help?! Holy Goddesses, this is bad. Oh my-"

"Green, calm down, would you?" Vio asked carefully, tugging lightly on Shadow's sleeve to bring him inside. The violette obliged, looping his arm beneath the taller blond's shoulders. "I just need to clean it out."

"Yeah, I know," Green protested, following behind them despite being obviously freaked out. "But you know I can't do blood, man." He turned when a larger blond (holy Goddesses, another one) laid a hand on his shoulder. "Blue, can you help Vio? I'm probably going to pass out if I stay here any longer."

Blue was clearly the most muscular out of all of them, his bold blue muscle tank showing off both his arms and his abs. His jeans were also tight enough to see how defined he was. "Yeah, sure. You should go explain to Red, though. He's freakin' out."

Green briefly laid his forehead against Blue's shoulder before going back to what Shadow assumed was the living room.

Shadow looked back at Vio, helping him sit at one of the barstools at the counter.

"What the hell did you this time? And who's this?" Blue asked, scowling at the blood that left a trail on the floor as he went to wash his hands. "Some secret lover of yours?"

Vio glared through the red on his face. "Blue! Absolutely not!"

Blue snickered lightly, stooping down to get (presumably) the medical supplies. "Just a question."

Shadow chuckled awkwardly, kneeling down to start peeling away the tight fabric of his jeans. "This'll hurt."

Vio simply nodded, too busy glaring at Blue to look down at him.

As carefully as he could, he slipped his fingers beneath the hem of his pants. All of his movements stopped when Vio gasped above him.

"Can I just... cut it off?" Shadow inquired, carefully watching for his reaction.

Vio's face was pale as he tried to cover what pain he was in. "Yeah," he replied, his voice tight. "That'd be fine."

"I'll replace the pants, if I have to," he promised, letting go of his pants to pull his switchblade out of his pocket. He readied his left hand, angling the knife away from Vio, but was surprised to find that his right arm wouldn't move. Looking down at the blood that had soaked through the ruined fabric of his sleeve, Shadow gulped at the sheer amount of glass shards embedded in his bicep. "Uh... Blue?"

The taller male hummed in acknowledgment, presumably filling a bowl full of water.

"I need help."

"With what?"

"...I can't move my arm."

Blue glanced over his shoulder, an eyebrow cocked in confusion. He sighed, shutting off the tap before moving over to where they were situated. "Go finish with the supplies. Let me do this."

Shadow looked skeptical, but handed over his knife before standing.

Blue hardly hesitated before expertly slicing the material off of Vio's blood-soaked leg.

How many times has he had to do this? He couldn't be more than 19...

Shadow met Vio's gaze, inwardly surprised at how intensely he'd been staring at him. He offered a lopsided smile before doing what he was told to do.

"What did you do this time?" Blue asked, wrapping the ruined material in paper towels he'd brought over. "Why's he with you?"

Vio sighed, propping an arm on the counter. "I was walking toward the library because I haven't gone in a while. And you know that one shortcut through the alleyway? As it turns out, they blocked that off and put a building there. I didn't know this, but when I turned around to go back, there were three drunk men behind me. They demanded money, which I only gave them what was in my wallet. One had a gun and tried to shoot me, but Shadow" he nodded toward him "jumped down from the roofs and diverted the shot. One of them had a glass bottle and tried to hit a home run with Shadow's arm, thus the glass shards. Shadow didn't back down, obviously, and scared them off."

Blue glanced at him as Shadow knelt back down with the water and washcloth. "How'd you scare 'em off? You don't look too terribly intimidating."

Shadow shrugged, soaking the towel. "Hereditary magic, I suppose."

"He's a descendant of one of the ancient heroes," Vio clarified before Blue could question further. "I assume you already know which one."

Blue studied the violette for a moment longer before picking up the rag. "That sounds fun. Only thing I got from my ancestor was his hot-headed, determined personality." He looked at Vio briefly. "Of course you had to be descended from the one with brains."

Vio smirked, shrugging lightly. "Not my fault. I do envy Red, though. He's gonna have a good life with that persona."

Blue smiled, its gait much softer than anything Shadow had seen. "I sure hope so."

Shadow looked between the male next to him and the living room with furrowed brows.

Vio answered his silent question. "They're in a polyamorous relationship, Shadow."

"Oh," he responded intelligently. "Uh... how's that working out?"

Blue shrugged, a firm yet gentle grip on Vio's leg as he began cleaning out the hole in the flesh. "It's been going on for 3 years already, if that means anythin' to you."

Vio's grip on the barstool tightened enough to make his knuckles go stark white.

Albeit awkward and hesitant, Shadow shyly offered his hand.

Vio's grateful smile as he took it made Shadow's face burn.

"How long are you goin' to stay?" Blue asked him, soaking the rag again to get the blood out.

Shadow huffed. "Why? Trying to kick me out?"

Blue rolled his eyes, his grip visibly tightening on Vio's leg until said blond yelped quietly. He forced his fist to unclench and began to clean out the bullet wound again. "Of course not. You just saved one of my boyfriends' brother, and this isn't even my house." He wrung the rag out again, grumbling softly. "I swear, if this gets infected..."

Vio's death-grip on Shadow's hand somehow tightened. "It better not."

Shadow briefly glanced at his purple-ing fingers before answering. "If it wouldn't be a problem, I'd like to stay for a while longer. This is the most interesting thing that's happened in weeks."

"Well, Red'll be starting lunch really soon," Blue responded, leaving the rag in the bowl in favor of the bandages next to his knee. "I'm sure he'll be alright with making a little extra."

"Perfect." His numb arm tingled painfully, reminding him of the alcohol-tainted glass shards embedded in his skin. "Hey, um... would you mind bandaging my arm?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Green simply refused to leave the living room until every trace of blood was gone, including in their clothing. Blue grumbled about having to change his pants (as some of Vio's blood had splattered onto it), Vio changed without much complaint, and Shadow was forced to wear Vio's clothes. After they had cleaned both themselves and the floors, he went around spraying Fabreeze of sorts to rid the metallic scent from the air.

Only then did he actually eat his lunch.

Red, who Shadow found to be strangely optimistic yet absolutely sweet, insisted that he stay longer, constantly asking him questions and telling him to repeat his story about how he saved Vio. Something about Shadow seemed interesting to the shortest of them.

While Blue and Red began playing Mario Kart on the Wii, Vio invited the only not-blond in the room to play a board game with him and Green.

"It'll be fun," he insisted, sitting him at the table with a smile. "Trust me."

Shadow rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Alright. What game're we playing?"

"Have you ever heard of Roller Coaster Tycoon?"

"I'm pretty sure I played that game on the computer when I was a kid."

"Just imagine it as a board game."

"Oh. Okay. Yeah, that does sound kinda fun."

"It is, I promise you."

"It better," he responded jokingly, feeling accomplished when Vio laughed.

The blond sat down beside him, his leg carefully splinted to keep him from bending it. He still winced, but it wasn't as bad as earlier. Shadow counted that as a win. Vio smiled again, lightly patting his forearm. "I know I've said this a lot," he said quietly, leaning toward him. "But thank you. There's a lot I feel the need to thank you for, so thank you."

Shadow rolled his eyes, still smiling through the light blush that dusted his cheeks. "It's alright, Vio. It really is."

Vio shrugged, his hand still on his arm. "Either way, my thankfulness is still there."

Shadow rubbed at his face with his free hand. "Ah, come on. All this fervent thanking is making my face hot."

Vio's smile shifted toward the 'mischievous' end of the spectrum. "Aww, is Shadow blushing?"

The heat intensified. "W-well... _maybe_."

"Maybe? It certainly looks like you are."

Shadow buried his face in his hands. Vio's hand slid down his arm, but he didn't let go.

Vio laughed lightly, the sound deepening the blush on Shadow's face. "I'm just saying."

Green (kind of) saved him by sliding into the seat across from him, dropping a box onto the table. "Here's the game."

"Perfect," Vio responded, letting go of Shadow's arm to help him set up. "I call being purple."

"I'm blue." He looked at Shadow expectantly. "Red or yellow?"

Shadow shrugged, his face beginning to cool down. "Red's fine."

Amidst their card-placing, Green dumped a handful of red cardboard strips in front of him. "You'll need these."

"Okay." He arranged them in small stacks off to the side, unsure what he needed them for. "Now... what am I getting myself into?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Vio totally annihilated both of them, topping their combined scores by at least 20 (which is a lot in that game). But it was fun nonetheless.

They'd started playing Super Smash Bros on the Wii U when Shadow's phone buzzed in his pocket. He groaned as he paused the game, sighing in defeat when he saw his sister's name as the caller id. "Hello?"

"Shadow Nickolas Zuiver!! Where the _hell_ are you?!"

"Not dying in an alleyway this time, if that's what you're asking." He saw Vio shoot him a concerned look out of the corner of his eye.

"You were supposed to be home an hour ago!"

"What?! No, I wasn't! Dad never gave me a curfew!"

She paused. "Alright, fine. But _where_ are you? I hear people laughing."

Blue, Green, and Red were, in fact, laughing loudly about something. "...I'm at a friend's house."

"Do I know them?"

"Maybe?" Shadow looked to Vio, silently asking, _what's your last name?_

"Sankari," Vio replied softly.

Shadow nodded his thanks. "Know anyone with the name of Sankari?"

"I know of them."

"Oh?"

"That's the Crime Lord's name."

Shadow felt his face scrunch. "...Huh. Well, anyway, my friend's name is Vio Sankari. I've been at his house since this afternoon."

"Ooh. Is he cute?"

Shadow's face colored. "W-well, yes, but-"

"Is he smart? Nice?"

"Yes and yes, but-"

"Does he think you're cute?"

"M-maybe? I don't-"

"Is he-"

"Hilda!!" Shadow exclaimed, cutting his sister short. His face was burning and Hilda's laughter didn't help him at all. "When am I supposed to be home?"

"Sometime before midnight, I'd say."

"Okay. I'll be home later." He didn't even say goodbye before hanging up and burying his face into his hands. "Oh my goddesses..."

"Something wrong?" Vio asked, his shoulder pressed against Shadow's.

"Sister," he grumbled through his hands. "Asking stupid questions."

Vio laughed lightly, picking up the Wii U gamepad. "I know that feels."

Shadow removed his hands from his face in favor of the controller in his lap. His was still noticeably red, but it was fading. "Alright. Let's keep going." He grinned at Vio. "I _will_ win this time, bookworm."

Blue snickered at the nickname.

Vio rolled his eyes. "If you say so."

The first thing that happened after unpausing was Pikachu headbutting Meta Knight off the screen.

"Dammit, Red!" Green exclaimed, his grin contradicting his tone.

Red shrugged. "Sorry?"

Blue swore after Vio knocking him off.

Vio did nothing but snicker softly, fingers dancing expertly over the gamepad.

Shadow laughed aloud as he kept dodging the others' attacks.

"Can I have help?" Blue grumbled, chasing after Shadow's avatar. "This punk still has three stock!"

"What?!" Green exclaimed as Red whined "Really?!"

Shadow yelped as all four of them started coming after him. "No, no! Stay _back_ , you heathens!" Everyone started laughing.

Until the front door opened.

"Mr. Sankari?" Red called, pausing the game and getting up with Green.

"Hello, Red," a man replied from the kitchen. "Fancy meeting you here."

Red grinned as he raced across the living room to greet him properly. Blue and Green followed him.

Vio, however, stayed where he was, fiddling with the knobs on the gamepad. "That's my father," he said rather blandly. "You could go meet him."

Shadow shrugged, his shoulder still against Vio's. "Red's probably telling him all about me. I doubt I'll have anything to say."

Vio chuckled lightly. He hesitated before speaking again. "My father hates it when we come home injured. As your sister presumably told you, he is the Crime Lord of Hyrule, and therefore controls the 'No Harm List'. Some idiots still hurt us anyway, and there are pretty severe consequences."

Shadow hummed his acknowledgment.

"I'm sure we could get you and your family on the list," Vio offered, fingers still fidgeting with the dials on the gamepad. "You deserve it."

Shadow smiled. "You've thanked me enough already."

"Yeah, but I'd like to make it up to you somehow," Vio insisted, pausing his movement to grab Shadow's hand. He squeezed it lightly before letting it go again.

Shadow couldn't stop the blush, but he still smiled. "You already have."

Footsteps from behind made them turn.

The Crime Lord was a tall man, well built around the chest and arms. His hair was a duller blonde than his sons', seeming more dirty-blonde than anything else. His were the same striking blue as Green's, nearly sparkling like newly cut diamonds. His broad frame was covered by a skin-tight black tee-shirt and a deep blue zip-up hoodie. His jeans were solid and had no rips.

Had no one told Shadow about him beforehand, he would've assumed Mr. Sankari was just another civilian.

"So, you're Shadow, huh?"

Shadow nodded. "Yeah."

The man studied what he could see for a moment. "Are you... wearing Violet's clothes?"

Both of their faces exploded into red as they scrambled for some sort of explanation.

Mr. Sankari tilted his head back and laughed, making Vio appear to pout. It was an odd look on the bookworm, but Shadow still found it adorable. "I'm just teasing. The happy couple over yonder already told me what happened." He gestured vaguely toward the kitchen. "I just came over to meet the hero and check up on Violet."

"Father," Vio grumbled lightly, arms crossed as his father ruffled his hair. "I told you I don't like to be called by my full name."

Mr. Sankari rolled his eyes, holding out a hand to Shadow. "Thank you, Shadow." The violette shook his hand. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

Shadow didn't hesitate to shake his head. "It's already been done, but thanks."

The man raised an eyebrow, dropping his hand back to his side. "Is that so? What was it?"

Shadow felt sheepish as he glanced at Vio briefly. "I found a few friends."

Mr. Sankari grinned, beginning to walk back toward the kitchen. "Seems like you might get a boyfriend at this rate."

Their faced reddened again.

"Father!!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was almost 11 pm when Shadow's phone buzzed again.

He looked extremely annoyed before he even pulled it out of his pocket. He replied to the text quickly and shoved it back into its confinement.

"Do you have to leave?" Vio asked, hoping that his voice didn't sound as desperate as he thought it did.

Shadow sighed, playing another card. "Real soon, anyway. I just have to be home by midnight."

"You don't have to walk, do you?" he asked, playing his card.

Shadow shrugged, drawing one and adding it to his hand. "I obviously didn't drive here."

Vio chuckled, finally not skipping Red and allowing him to play his card. "Well, would you like a ride? Walking in near pitch-black isn't very wise."

"I can see pretty well in the dark," Shadow replied, frowning playfully when Red played a +4 on him. "It'll be fine."

Vio didn't believe him, but allowed their game of Uno to finish before bringing it up again.

Red had won a turn before Shadow, leaving Vio to place his wild card at the top of the deck.

"I'm tired," Red said, stretching and letting out a rather high pitched yawn. "Imma go crash."

"See ya tomorrow, Red," Vio responded, shuffling the cards and placing them back in their box. "Blue and Green went up there a while ago."

"Alright. 'Night."

Shadow waved at him, looking exasperated as soon as the crimson-clad boy was up the stairs.

"Do you really not want to go home?" Vio asked, genuinely curious.

"It's not... really... I don't know," he replied, stretching his arms above his head. "I hardly ever have this much fun."

Vio smiled, attempting to stand. "Well, that's comforting."

Silently, Shadow stood, grabbing Vio's arm as the blond began to lean dangerously far. "I guess so."

Vio leaned into Shadow's warmth, unable to help the small smile forming on his face. "You could come over again, you know. Blue and Red are normally here, and when they aren't Green's over with them. You'll always be welcome here."

Shadow's genuine smile was dazzling. "Thanks, Vio." He paused clearly thinking something over. "Do you happen to... I don't know... like chocolate?"

Vio blinked, wondering why he would want to know. "According to the others, I'm addicted."

Shadow chuckled, "inconspicuously" hiding his face by looking at the floor. "Do you prefer one flavor over another?"

Vio began to be suspicious. "Not necessarily."

Shadow sighed lightly, grinning up at Vio. "Great. Thanks."

"Wait, are you... _planning_ something?"

Shadow's grin didn't waver. "Maybe."

Vio rolled his eyes, pink dusting his cheeks at the thought of Shadow giving him gifts. "Alright, Mister. You are officially too chivalrous for you're own good."

Shadow laughed aloud at that, ducking his face again.

"I'm being serious though," Vio said, lightly leaning his head on Shadow's shoulder.

Shadow's body shook with a chuckle. "I figured as much."

Vio's heartbeat sped up considerably when Shadow put his head on his own.

They stayed there for a few minutes, content in the silence.

"I know I just met you today," Shadow whispered. "But you're a great friend."

Vio smiled. "You are too." Reluctantly, he pulled back. "You should go home before you get in trouble."

Shadow grinned. "And you should rest before you injure yourself more."

"Touche."

Vio let himself be lead over to the couch, let himself be laid down, let himself be tucked in. He smiled up at Shadow, only then realizing that he was, in fact, rather tired. "Thank you again, Shadow."

Shadow smiled back, lightly brushing his hair away from his closing eyes. "You're welcome, Vio."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mr. Sankari was leaning against the counter when Shadow walked to the kitchen to retrieve the bag his bloody clothes were in. "Leaving?"

Shadow nodded, sliding his feet into his shoes. "I don't feel like getting in trouble for being out too late."

"Understandable." He watched silently as Shadow tied up the stained laces and stood back up from the barstool he'd sat down on. "How soon will you be back?"

The violette shrugged, picking up the plastic bag. "Soon, most likely." He looked around blankly for a moment. "Can I have a piece of paper and a pen?"

"Forgot to give Violet your number?" Mr. Sankari snickered not unkindly, giving him what he asked for.

"Well, yeah," Shadow replied, thankfully not stuttering. "And the others." He scrawled a few digits onto the paper before placing the pen down again. "Thank you for letting me stay here, Mr. Sankari. Your sons are fantastic."

The man smiled, clapping him on the shoulder across the counter. "You are too. Thank you again for saving Violet."

Shadow smiled back. "You're welcome."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Relatively early the next morning, Shadow awoke to his phone buzzing. He must've slept through the call on accident because he had a voice mail and a few texts for unknown numbers.

_Unknown Number_ : Hey, Shadow!! This is Red. I just wanted to thank you again for saving Vio!! You're a real hero, ya know that, right?? Well, anyway, I hope you have a good day and you _better_ come back soon!!

_Unknown Number_ : This is Blue. Red wouldn't stop telling me to give you my number, so here. I suppose you should come back sometime so I can get a rematch in Smash Bros.

_Unknown Number_ : Good morning, Shadow. This is Green. Thanks again for coming over yesterday, we all had fun. Vio has been bringing you up a lot (don't tell him I said that), and Blue and Red and even Father keep picking on him for it. Have a nice day.

_Voice mail_ : "Hey, Shadow. This is Vio. I just called to let you known that Red was asking where you were this morning and told me to tell you that you 'just have to come back'. *chuckle* Along with that, my father has put you and your family on the No Harm List, so you shouldn't have to worry about getting attacked too often anymore. *pause* I hope you got home safely, and I--er, we hope to see you again soon. Goodbye."

Shadow smiled softly.

Having friends was truly as nice as he thought it would be.

**Author's Note:**

> To be completely honest, I just wanted to write this one so I could write something really long.
> 
> ...That was really the only reason.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed, and stay tuned for more fics in the near future!!  
> That included updates to my two stories, by the way...


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